Optical fiber connector
First Claim
1. An optical waveguide connector comprisinga first element having an inclined surface means,a second element,at least one first optical fiber having resilience,means on said first element for holding said first optical fiber with an end portion thereof on said inclined surface means,at least one second optical fiber having resilience,means on said second element for holding said second optical fiber so as to have an outwardly facing end portion,and means for aligning said first and second elements such that said end portion of said second optical fiber is at an angle to said inclined surface means and upon relative advancement of said first and second elements toward each other said end portion of said second optical fiber is caused to engage said inclined surface means and be bent thereby so as to slide therealong to a location where the end thereof engages the end of said first optical fiber.
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Abstract
This invention provides a connector for optical fibers which includes two connector sections each of which has a means for holding an optical fiber, one of the sections having an inclined surface engaged by the end portions of both of the fibers where their end faces abut. One of the fibers is bent to its position of engagement with the inclined surface as held in one section of the connector. The other of the optical fiber is bent by the inclined surface as the two connector sections are brought together to a mated position.
85 Citations
33 Claims
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1. An optical waveguide connector comprising
a first element having an inclined surface means, a second element, at least one first optical fiber having resilience, means on said first element for holding said first optical fiber with an end portion thereof on said inclined surface means, at least one second optical fiber having resilience, means on said second element for holding said second optical fiber so as to have an outwardly facing end portion, and means for aligning said first and second elements such that said end portion of said second optical fiber is at an angle to said inclined surface means and upon relative advancement of said first and second elements toward each other said end portion of said second optical fiber is caused to engage said inclined surface means and be bent thereby so as to slide therealong to a location where the end thereof engages the end of said first optical fiber.
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2. In combination with at least one first optical fiber having resilience, and at least one second optical fiber having resilience, a device for connecting said first optical fiber to said second optical fiber for transmitting light therebetween comprising
a first element including means for holding said first optical fiber so as to extend in a first direction, said first optical fiber having an end portion extending beyond said means for holding said first optical fiber, a surface inclined relative to said first direction, and positioning means for positioning said end portion of said first optical fiber so as to lie along said inclined surface with the outer end of said first optical fiber at an intermediate portion of said inclined surface, said positioning means including means for bending said first optical fiber so that said end portion thereof exerts a lateral force against said inclined surface, a second element having a forward end, said second element including, means for holding said second optical fiber so as to extend in said first direction, said second optical fiber having an end portion extending beyond said means for holding said second optical fiber and projecting beyond said forward end of said second element, said first and second elements having a mated position in which said end portion of said second optical fiber lies along said inclined surface and is bent thereby so that said second optical fiber exerts a lateral force against said inclined surface, and the outer end of said second optical fiber abuts said outer end of said first optical fiber, and releasable connecting means for holding said first and second elements in said mated position and permitting said first and second elements to be moved away from each other to a separated condition upon release of said releasable connecting means.
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3. An optical waveguide connector comprising
a first element having an inclined surface means, a second element, a plurality of first optical fibers having resilience, means on said first element for holding said first optical fibers in spaced parallelism with end portions thereof on said inclined surface means, said means for holding said first optical fibers including means for bending said first optical fibers so that said first optical fibers exert a resilient force urging the same against said inclined surface means, a plurality of second optical fibers having resilience, means on said second element for holding said second optical fibers in spaced parallelism so as to have a spacing therebetween substantially equal to the spacing of said first optical fibers, and to have outwardly facing end portions, and means for aligning said first and second elements including means for positioning the end portions of said second optical fibers at an angle relative to said inclined surface means such that upon relative advancement of said first and second elements toward each other said second optical fibers are caused to engage said inclined surface means and be bent thereby and exert a force against said inclined surface means to produce intimate contact therewith and along said inclined surface means to a location where the ends thereof engage the ends of said first optical fibers, said second element including, an outwardly projecting portion engaging and supporting said end portions of said second optical fibers, said outwardly projecting portion being engageable with said first element upon said relative advancement of said first and second elements toward each other for pushing said outwardly projecting portion inwardly so as to enable said second optical fibers to so engage said inclined surface means.
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6. An optical waveguide connector comprising
a first element having an inclined surface means, a second element, a plurality of first optical fibers having resilience, means on said first element for holding said first optical fibers in spaced parallelism with end portions thereof on said inclined surface means, a plurality of second optical fibers having resilience, means on said second element for holding said second optical fibers in spaced parallelism so as to have a spacing therebetween substantially equal to the spacing of said first optical fibers, and to have outwardly facing end portions, and means for aligning said first and second elements including means for positioning the end portions of said second optical fibers at an angle relative to said inclined surface means such that upon relative advancement of said first and second elements toward each other said second optical fibers are caused to engage said inclined surface means and be bent thereby and exert a force against said inclined surface means to produce intimate contact therewith and so as to slide along said inclined surface means to a location where the ends thereof engage the ends of said first optical fibers.
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13. In combination with a first optical fiber cable having a plurality of first optical fibers having resilience, and a second optical fiber cable having a plurality of second optical fibers having resilience, a device for connecting said first optical fibers to said second optical fibers to transmitting light therebetween comprising
a first element, said first element including means for holding an end portion of said first cable with the axis thereof extending in a first direction, said first optical fibers having end portions extending beyond the end portion of said first cable, a surface inclined relative to said first direction, and positioning means for positioning said end portions of said first optical fibers with the outer parts thereof lying along said inclined surface and the outer ends of said first optical fibers at an intermediate portion of said inclined surface, said positioning means including means for bending said first optical fibers so that said end portions thereof exert a lateral force against said inclined surface, a second element having a forward end, said second element including means for holding an end portion of said second cable with the axis thereof extending substantially in said first direction, said second optical fibers having end portions extending beyond said end portion of said second cable, and positioning means for positioning said second optical fibers so that the outer parts of said end portions of said second optical fibers project beyond said forward end of said second element, said first and second elements having a mated position in which said outer parts of said second optical fibers lie along said inclined surface and are bent thereby so that said second optical fibers exert a lateral force against said inclined surface, and the outer ends of said second optical fibers abut said outer ends of said first optical fibers, and releasable connecting means for holding said first and second elements in said mated position and permitting said first and second elements to be moved away from each other to a separated condition upon release of said releasable connecting means.
Specification